


Home Is Where The Heart Is

by snowmissus (soul_of_blaze)



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bilbo Has Kids, Bilbo is Gay, But not how you think, Eventual Romance, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Holidays, M/M, Miscommunication, Modern Middle Earth, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Relationship(s), Thorin Has Kids, Thorin Is Bisexual, Thorin Is an Idiot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28323303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_of_blaze/pseuds/snowmissus
Summary: Thorin Durinsson wants to enjoy the holidays, especially with his family, but they've never spelled out happiness for him. And he works too hard to let himself, especially with a hotel during the holiday season.Frerin Durinsson thinks it's time to change that.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Dís/Dís's Wife
Comments: 24
Kudos: 34





	1. i

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for my very favorite person in the whole world, Jonna! 
> 
> The holidays have been hard this year, but I hope I can cheer us all up with a cute holiday story about these two idiots. I'll add more tags and character tags as this goes on! The rating may go up as well, but we'll see how this pans out. 
> 
> Happy Holidays!

The letter from Frerin arrived a week before Christmas. 

Thorin shuffled through his mail as he stepped into the small apartment, tucking a bill behind a piece of junk mail before he spied his younger brother’s messy scrawl that he called handwriting on an envelope. His mouth turned down and he dropped the rest of the mail onto the counter. 

“Mira?” He called out as he dropped his bag onto one of the barstools at the kitchen island. 

It wasn’t that Thorin needed a housekeeper, really, considering the size of the apartment and the fact that Thorin himself was not a messy person. Nor was he at home often enough to make a substantial mess. But he worked late nights, and a housekeeper combined with a nanny had ended up being the most efficient way of ensuring that his children and his home were in some kind of order, especially if he worked overtime, which happened more often than he’d like to admit. 

As he toed his shoes off, the plump woman came around the corner, holding Farin’s hand as the young boy clung to her. Mira was a pretty woman, her features worn by time and a parade of children. Thorin had always appreciated the time she’d been able to give to him, considering that she had her own children to take care of. 

She and Bombur likely received the best gifts that Thorin gave. 

More or less because he wasn’t quite sure where he’d be without the woman that had watched his children over the last few years. 

“Adad!” Farin let go of Mira’s hand and flung himself at Thorin. He scooped the boy up, smiling at Mira. 

“I’ll be off then, Thorin. Bombur sent over meals for the next week, they’re in the fridge and freezer with instructions,” she said, gathering up her own bag and leaning over to ruffle Farin’s hair. He giggled and hid his face in Thorin’s neck. 

Mira was one of the only people that Farin would speak around, or look directly in the eyes, besides his closest family members. 

“Have a nice night,” Thorin said, smiling and closing the door behind Mira when she left. He looked back at Farin. “What do you want for dinner, bud? I could… order a pizza?”

Farin let out a squeal. “Yes! Pizza!”

Thorin smiled and set his son down, smoothing his hair down before the young boy ran off to the kitchen. He took out his phone, glancing at the text from his daughter before he called the pizza parlor and ordered a pizza. After he hung up, he looked back at his texts.

He frowned at his phone. His daughter was supposed to finish her exams that afternoon, and he’d pick her up from the airport in the morning. It wasn’t often that Thorin managed to take time off, but he’d been trying to do better this year. The holidays were, probably, the worst time to take off, but his sister had been insistent that he actually take time off this year and spend the extra time with his children. 

Something about Delisi’s first year at college, but Thorin preferred not to dig that particular conversation up again. 

Thorin slipped his phone back into his pocket and walked into the kitchen, picking up the letter from Frerin as he went. He leaned against the counter, reaching for the letter opener, though he didn’t take his eyes off of the curved loops of his brother’s handwriting. 

“I’m pretty sure someone could rob you,” a light voice said, and if Thorin hadn’t spent the last nineteen years knowing that voice, he might have done more than simply nicked his thumb with the letter opener. “Mahal, dad! Give me that.”

He huffed, looking at his daughter as she held out an expectant hand. Like she wasn’t the one that had startled him in the middle of opening a letter. After a moment, though, he handed her the letter and watched as she quickly opened it. “Why is Uncle Frerin writing to you, anyway? I thought he was in the Alps?”

“Well I can’t answer that without reading the letter first, Del,” he said, and rolled his eyes when she handed it back to him. 

He took a moment to take his daughter in. She was dressed nicely, though she looked more ready to go caroling than anything else, and her long, brilliantly red here, was piled up on her head. 

Sometimes, it was hard for Thorin to look at her, because she looked so much like Rhea. Except for her blue eyes, which both she and Farin had inherited from Thorin. 

“Well? What does it say?” Delisi slipped onto the empty stool, and when Farin came over, she picked him up. “How’s my favorite brother?”

“I’m your only brother!”

Thorin smiled and looked down at the letter. 

Slowly, his smile turned into a frown. Delisi watched him and she straightened up, tucking Farin more firmly in her lap. “What is it?”

He set the letter down and sighed, rubbing at his nose. Frerin was not a predictable person, and despite the fact that he could have texted Thorin, he seemed to think that the best way to tell his older brother that he’d be spending the holidays back home was through a letter. Fuck. 

“Your uncle will be visiting for the holidays,” he said, looking back at his children. Farin grinned and Delisi raised a brow at him. 

“And that’s… bad?”

“No, it’s not, but we don’t have the room for him,” Thorin muttered. The apartment only had three rooms, and though Delisi’s went unused throughout the year, she’d be home until after the holidays were over. To put it simply, Thorin didn’t have room to host his brother for an extended amount of time. Nor, his boyfriend, who Frerin had mentioned he was bringing with him at the end of the letter. “And his boyfriend. Apparently.”

“Uncle Frerin has a boyfriend?” Delisi grinned. 

“Apparently,” Thorin said again. 

Frerin wasn’t exactly known for being the best at relationships. Thorin had never been thrilled when his brother brought along whoever his current date was. He didn’t think it was a good idea, since Frerin tended to go through dates and partners quickly. That wasn’t an issue, and Thorin didn’t really care what his brother got up to, but he did care about whether his children attached themselves to Frerin’s current paramour or not. 

Though that had been a concern when Delisi was much younger, and Farin was a toddler. Nowadays, they could probably handle the ever-changing partners their uncle had. 

He hoped. 

“So… when are they coming?”

“Tomorrow,” Thorin sighed, rubbing at his temple this time. His little brother would always give him a headache, no matter how much he tried to ignore his more annoying tendencies. “I swear he did this just to f--”

The doorbell interrupted him, which Thorin thanked Mahal for. He’d almost sworn in front of Farin, which he did his best not to. 

“Pizza!” Farin leapt out of Delisi’s lap. He ran towards the door and Thorin followed at a more sedate pace. 

He paid for the pizza, thanking the delivery person before he headed back into the kitchen with Farin clinging to his pant leg. Delisi had gotten up, reaching into the cupboards to grab plates for the pizza. She pulled Farin to help set the table while Thorin opened the pizza box. 

Once they’d settled at the table, and Farin was making a mess as he ate, Delisi turned to Thorin. “Why don’t we just all stay at the hotel for the holidays?”

“What?” Thorin frowned, as he reached over to try and clean his son’s cheek from the sauce that had smeared there. 

“It sounds like Uncle Frerin wants to spend the holidays together this year, right?” She asked and Thorin nodded distractedly as Farin ducked away from the napkin. “So… we could stay at the hotel, and so could he and his boyfriend. That way we can spend time together, and you don’t have to worry about having room for guests.”

Thorin paused, looking back at his daughter. 

She’d always had an admirable mind, even from a young age, and Thorin was certain she’d grow up one day to do something even more brilliant than he could imagine. Perhaps the solution was simple, but it wasn’t something that he would have thought of himself. 

“Alright,” he said, leaning back to wipe the sauce of Farin’s cheek. This time, he managed it. 

“Really?” Delisi paused, pizza halfway to her mouth. 

“Yes,” Thorin sat back. “We’ll reserve rooms for them and us. It’s a good idea, and I’m sure your aunt Dis will delight at having everyone so close.”

Delisi beamed and continued to eat. 

Thorin dreaded texting his sister, but it was, in fact, the best plan. And it would make her happy. He just hoped that his family wouldn’t drive him insane too quickly. All of them within arm’s reach for more than a week would be more than enough to do that, but perhaps he’d be able to escape them for a short time over the holidays. 

He’d have to hope that anyway. 

  
\--

“Can you finish packing your brother’s suitcase?” Thorin peeked his head into Delisi’s room. 

She hadn’t unpacked her own suitcase, which made going to the hotel ten times easier. At least, he didn’t have to ensure she’d packed things. It was just his things and Farin’s. Farin would be far more difficult to pack. Half the time, Thorin wasn’t sure what his son would want with him, and he didn’t like to overpack. At least the hotel wasn’t far away, so if he forgot anything, he could run back to the apartment and grave it. That was the only saving grace. 

“I’ve got you,” Delisi hopped up from her bed, walking past Thorin and to Farin’s room. 

Thorin listened as Delisi talked to Farin, asking him what he wanted to take with him. He headed into the kitchen, walking to the fridge and moving the meals Bombur had made all into the freezer. They’d be eaten eventually, but he didn’t want them to go back in the fridge over the holidays. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a tired sigh. 

His eyes slid to a picture on the fridge, looking at a younger Thorin, who had his arm around a pretty red-headed woman, who held a very young Farin in her arms, and a much younger Delisi was tucked between them. 

He wished this time of year was easier. 

“We’re done,” Delisi called, and he heard the roll of the wheels on Farin’s suitcase. “Adad! Come on, let’s go.”

Thorin looked at the picture one last time before he grabbed his travel mug from the counter, hooked his hand under the handle of his suitcase, and walked out the front door of their apartment. Delisi had Farin in her arms, but she’d managed to at least get their suitcases outside. It was a bit of a hassle, but they did make their way down in the elevator and into the car park, and eventually the car was loaded with luggage, and Farin was tucked into the backseat. 

It was a, thankfully, short drive from his apartment to the hotel. 

The Arkenstone Hotel & Resort loomed over them as he pulled into his marked spot. That was a perk of being an owner of an establishment, Thorin supposed, if he ignored the mountains of paperwork that came with it. 

The hotel itself had been built into the mountain of Erebor. Had they not renovated it when it had come back under their control, it would have been a long trek up the stairs to the hotel itself, but Thorin was more than happy to press the button for the elevator and usher his children into one of the elevators when it arrived. Farin looked out the glass of the elevator, as they rose up the mountain. From here, they could see the landscape of the surrounding countryside. Delisi kept a gentle but firm hold on Farin as he leaned closer to the glass. 

Thorin’s phone buzzed in his pocket but he ignored it. 

Shortly, the ding of the elevator doors opening alerted him to their arrival to the lobby of the hotel. 

When the doors fully opened, Dis stood there, her arms open wide. As soon as they stepped off the elevator, Delisi set Farin down and he ran to hug Dis’s legs, before the woman scooped him up and pressed a big kiss to both of his cheeks. 

“Hello, my sugar plum,” she cooed to Farin, who pretended to wipe at his cheeks, despite his smile. Dis looked at Delisi. “Goodness, look at you! You’re so grown up.”

“Auntie, I’ve only been gone for a semester,” Delisi said, her cheeks flushing as Dis pulled her into a one-armed hug. Still, Delisi hugged her back and Thorin smiled at the sight of his sister smothering his children. 

“Well, college does wonders to maturity,” Dis said, letting her niece go after a moment. She redirected her attention to Thorin. “Big brother. You look well. Why don’t you drop off the bags and I’ll have Vili make you a drink? You don’t mind if I steal your children away, do you?” Dis winked. “The boys won’t be here until tomorrow.”

“Go on,” Thorin chuckled, and took the keycard from her when Dis handed it over. “I’ll come down to the bar after I drop these off.”

Dis waved him off, leading Delisi down the hall towards the bar, and bouncing Farin playfully as they walked. 

Thorin tucked the keycard into his pocket after he checked the room number, pressing the elevator buttons for the floor. He leaned against the wall of the elevator and let out a sigh, rubbing at his nose. Truthfully, he wouldn't mind the break from work, and the time spent with his family. And he wouldn’t mind seeing Frerin. 

He kept his eyes closed while the elevator rose. 

When it arrived at the floor, Thorin stepped off and glanced down the hall. The hotel was large, and there were several halls on each floor. However, Thorin knew the layouts, and he knew that suites on each floor were down the left hall. He’d thought it best to have the three of them in their own suite, rooms connected to give Delisi and Farin their own rooms, but keeping them close enough to Thorin for his own reassurance. 

As he walked down the hall, Thorin wondered where Dis had placed his brother and his brother’s boyfriend. The boyfriend bit had been a surprise, though Thorin hadn’t been that surprised really. It was just that Frerin had, up to this point, only dated women. Not that Thorin could really say much of anything. He might have married a woman, but he liked men just as well.

Thorin glanced down, fumbling in his pocket to grab the keycard. 

He looked up, checking the number of the rooms as he walked. 

Then he stepped dead in his tracks. 

Down the hall, just past where the suite’s door was, there was a short man. Thorin felt as though he was being thrust into the past, eyes alight as he took in those familiar golden-red curls and soft brown eyes, the plumpness of the figure, and a twitchy nose that reminded Thorin far too well of his youth. 

His heart dropped into his stomach as he stared down Bilbo Baggins. 


	2. Interlude: Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashbacks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter but I decided I wanted to write up some quick scenes that happened in the past. To give you all context of Bilbo and Thorin's past and some of their past relationship. There's obviously a lot more going on in the history of this AU but I will definitely expand upon that as the story goes on. 
> 
> I think this is best imagined as quick flashes going through Thorin's mind when he sees Bilbo at the end of the previous chapter.

__**Twenty years ago**  
  


The arrival and subsequent offer put upon the table by Gandalf had left Thorin troubled. He’d been -- well -- content in his life, offering what little support to his siblings and parents that he could. It wasn’t nearly as much if they’d had their grandfather’s mountain under their control, but up until Gandalf’s arrival, they hadn’t had any other choice. 

Now, Thorin stared down the document that Gandalf had left for him to “consider”. 

“I just don’t see the point,” Thorin said, pushing himself up from the table. 

Dis snorted softly next to him. She had her arms crossed over her chest, an eyebrow raised before she shared a look with Frerin. 

“You don’t want to try?”

“Why? We… we’re fine. We’re doing fine.” Thorin looked at his sister. 

“Yes, because you _love_ being a lawyer.” Dis drawled, leaning back in her chair. Frerin reached over to look at the document. “I think that we should go for it.”

Frerin nodded, setting the document down. Thorin’s mouth turned down. 

“Even if we went with Gandalf’s proposed plan, there’s no way that bastard Smaug would let us within ten feet. He knows what we look like. He knows what our friends and family look like.” Thorin crossed his arms over his chest, leveling the pair of his younger siblings with a look. “It wouldn’t work.”

“So we hire an outside party. Someone with hacking skills.” Frerin kicked his feet up on the table, ignoring the glare that Thorin sent him. “We get ourselves an inside man.”

\--

When Frerin had said hacker, Thorin had expected something different. Not the small, homey looking man that stood on the threshold of their apartment. The man, who looked like a scared bunny staring down a den of wolves, wrung his wrists. 

“Gandalf said you needed a hacker.”

Bilbo Baggins was entirely unassuming, which Thorin knew would work to their advantage in this mission. 

“Yes,” Thorin said, eyeing him. “You are one, aren’t you?”

“I.. am.” Bilbo said. His uncertainty in the statement irked Thorin. “But, you said… that I would have to get close to this Mr. Drake.”

“You will,” Thorin pressed his lips together. “The files and intel we require to take the company back he keeps close at hand. From my understanding, you won’t be able to access them unless you’re close enough and have the time to get them. Is that right?”

“Well, yes, depending on the encryptions and where he’s keeping them…”

“He keeps them on a flash drive that he keeps on his person,” Frerin butted in, pushing past Thorin and holding his hand out to Bilbo. “Frerin Durinsson. Ignore Thorin, he’s like that most of the time. But don’t worry, I’ll help you through all of this.”

Bilbo smiled slightly, exchanging an awkward handshake with Frerin before he pushed his glasses up. “Right…” 

\--

“Are you fucking insane?” Bilbo screeched, yelping as Thorin hauled him over his shoulder. “Let me go!”

“You have the flash drive?”

“Yes! Put me down!”

Thorin tightened his arm around Bilbo’s midsection, stumbling down the stairwell. Bilbo smacked his back, flailing a leg to try and stop the man as he rushed them down the stairwell. Around them, alarms went off. Thorin heard the sound of a door at higher floor slam open. He skid to a stop and wrenched open the door at the landing. 

As soon as he pushed through the door, he dropped Bilbo on the floor. Thorin slammed the door shut and leaned against it. 

“How long?”

“What?” Bilbo pushed himself up, running a trembling hand through his messy curls. 

“How long do you need to unencrypt the files?” Thorin panted, grimacing as he held his side. 

“I… I’m not sure,” he muttered, reaching into his bag and pulling out a laptop. “I would have liked to have more time with Mr. Drake, any extra information I could have gotten from him would have been helpful in decoding…”

Thorin closed his eyes, grimacing as the adrenaline pumping through his body slowed. “That wasn’t a choice.”

“I know,” Bilbo said quietly, rubbing at his temple before he pushed the flash drive into his laptop. 

“I need you to call my brother,” Thorin said, after a moment had passed. 

“What, right now?” Bilbo frowned, his attention remaining on the laptop’s screen as he started typing rapidly. “Can’t it wait?”

“No,” Thorin ground out, and he couldn’t hide the hitch in his breath as a shockwave of pain radiated out from his side. 

His vision darkened, splotches of black rolling in. Distantly, he knew he heard the alarms and he thought he heard Bilbo yell his name, but his consciousness waned before he could focus on it. 

\--

“Where’s Bilbo?”

“What?” Her voice came quiet, a frown on his sister’s face as she leaned away from laying the back of her hand across his forehead. 

“Bilbo.”

“Thorin… he’s gone.”

“ _Gone_?”

“Shit, no, don’t… stay in bed. He’s fine, he wasn’t hurt, but the job is done. We’ve got the files. Gloin will wire money to him when we have the assets back under control.”

Thorin turned, looking up at the ceiling and wondered what the feeling in his chest was. It felt like pain, but he knew that he was on too many drugs at the moment to feel any physical pain. 

The sound of the door opening, the soft familiarity of Rhea’s voice, drew Thorin away. 

He let it pass, ignoring it as she pressed their foreheads together. 

Still, Thorin’s thoughts drifted towards Bilbo more than he’d like to admit to anyone but himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will (hopefully) have the next chapter up soon. It definitely won't take a week, and my plan is to have it ready tomorrow, so cross your fingers! 
> 
> Ask me questions if you want ;) I may or may not answer them.


	3. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkward reunion time!

The door slammed shut behind Thorin before he knew what he was doing. He leaned against it, breathing in deeply as images of Bilbo sped through his mind. There were many things in the last twenty years that Thorin had done, had regretted, but nothing stood out to him quite like Bilbo Baggins did. 

He wasn’t certain how much time passed before he moved away from the door. 

Slowly, Thorin took in the suite that Dis had given him for the holidays. It was larger, and at the moment, he stood in a small living room area. There was a comfortable couch situated across from a tv. From his recall of the architecture Frerin had put in place, this was one of the “family” suites, meant to accommodate a family, as the name implied. As a suite, it had a kitchen and two bathrooms as well.

Thorin rubbed at his face, groaning before he gathered up the luggage and moved towards the rooms. He stepped into the master bedroom, dropping his suitcase before he turned around. The suite had two other rooms, though they were approximately the same size and it wouldn’t really matter. He dropped Farin’s suitcase in the closer room and set Delisi’s outside the door to the other room. 

Then he ran through his hair. 

Maybe he was seeing things. This was the last place that he had seen Bilbo, wasn’t it? Even though Thorin had been to the hotel many, many times, and had never seen a ghost of the past, perhaps he was overworking himself too much. It wasn’t something that he’d ever admit to his sister’s face, but she was likely right that he needed a break. At least he’d have some time with his children and the rest of his family. And Frerin’s boyfriend, whoever that might be. 

He didn’t want to entertain the idea that Bilbo wasn’t a mirage, that he might be real, and that he might very well be here with Frerin. 

Thorin ducked into the master bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was a mess from running his fingers through it worriedly, and somehow the mess made the salt-and-pepper color of it far more obvious. It wasn’t often that he looked at himself in the mirror for very long. But looking at himself now, he could see the worn lines of his face, the wrinkles that had formed over the last twenty years. Thorin wasn’t old, but he certainly wasn’t the young-faced youth he’d been when he was in his twenties. Likely, he’d been more handsome then, and less tired. 

Not that he would trade the twenty years for anything. 

He loved his children and he had loved Rhea. That wasn’t something that he’d ever regret, but sometimes he wondered and lingered on the life he might have had it he… 

He shook the thoughts from his mind and stepped out of the bathroom, staring down the door that led out of the suite and back into the hotel. Would Bilbo be there if he opened it again? Why did he want him to be there when he opened it?

Thorin breathed out, steadying himself as he moved to the door. It had been long enough, he thought, that if Bilbo were truly here, for whatever reason, it was unlikely that he’d lingered in the hall for so long. Especially after Thorin had seen him and immediately ran into his room. That was not a promising start to this vacation, but perhaps he’d simply been seeing things. He really hoped he had, or things were not going to go well for him. 

Finally he gave in and pushed the door open.

The hall was empty.

Thorin cursed himself for being an idiot. Of course Bilbo wasn’t here, and of course he was seeing things. He really needed to grab a drink and try to let himself relax. If Frerin wasn’t already here, he’d be here soon enough, and Thorin needed a barrier of something to deal with his younger brother. 

His younger brother, who apparently liked men now. 

It wasn’t that much of a surprise, nor was Thorin offended by anything, but he wondered why Frerin hadn’t said anything to him until now. Dis had always been open about her sexuality and she had never tolerated any nonsense surrounding her attraction to Vili, nor Vili’s status as a woman. Thorin had never had any issue with his sister or her wife, and he’d been friends with Vili before she and Dis had started dating. Besides all of that, Thorin had come out as bisexual a decade ago. 

There was no reason for Frerin to not be upfront, unless he simply didn’t want his siblings involved in his personal life. Which was, unfortunately, how Frerin tended to be. 

Thorin pressed the button for the elevator and quickly slipped inside, mashing the close button as quickly as he could. Just in case. He didn’t really want to deal with anyone right now. 

As soon as the elevator dinged to the lobby, Thorin hurried from it and made a beeline for the bar. He didn’t see Dis or either of his children, but he didn’t mind. Knowing his younger sister, she likely would be absorbed with spoiling her niece and nephew for a little while longer. Long enough for Thorin to get a drink down and deal with their brother. 

Vili had a rag in hand, wiping down the surface of the bar. Her blonde hair was braided over her shoulder, and always her makeup was impeccable. Out of the two, Vili tended to have a more feminine style than Dis. Dis always looked like an intimidating businesswoman, much like their mother had before they’d lost the hotel when Thorin was young. 

She glanced up and smiled. “Thorin,” she gestured towards one of the stools. As he sat down, Vili grabbed a glass. “Dis said you were going to need a drink. Frerin hasn’t arrived yet… or at least I haven’t seen him yet.”

Thorin shrugged, leaning his arms against the bar. “Apparently Dis wants me to relax. Whatever that means.”

Vili laughed and Thorin grinned, watching his sister-in-law as she poured him some sort of mixer. He didn’t know, and as long as it tasted good, Thorin didn’t care that much. She slid it towards him and he took a long drink before sighing. 

“You know who he’s bringing?” Vili asked. 

“No,” Thorin sighed. “He didn’t actually tell me. Just that he has a boyfriend, apparently.”

“I mean, between you and me… I’m not that surprised. I kind of expected him to bring a boyfriend sooner than now.” She turned, ducking down for a second before she came back up. “You haven’t seen my kids, have you?”

“I just don’t know why he didn’t tell me sooner,” Thorin said, shaking his head. “No, I haven’t seen them. They’ll be here too?”

“Dis would kill them if they didn’t spend the holidays at home,” Vili snorted. “And don’t get started on us about Kili. He wanted to go to Rivendell for his studies, and they have a good course of study.”

“I’ve given up trying to convince you how bad an idea that is,” Thorin muttered into his drink. Vili smacked his shoulder with her rag. 

There was a long moment of silence between them as Thorin stared down into his drink. He didn’t think too often about their family, at least not in the context of a whole. This wasn’t his first year without Rhea for the holidays, but it was still new enough that there was a pang of loneliness in his chest. He’d never be alone, and he’d always have his children around for the holidays, and his sister’s family, at the very least, but he wasn’t sure how he’d get through the week seeing both of his siblings with their partners. 

This was not going to be easy on him. 

Thorin downed the rest of his drink and set it down. Vili glanced at him but she didn’t start making him another drink. That was probably for the best. He himself had not had any issues in many, many years but family history and his own past problems meant Thorin erred on the side of caution when it came to drinking. Better to be safe than sorry, even more around his own children. 

If Thorin thought that he’d get his peace and quiet for much longer, he was wrong. It was only a moment after Vili had taken the glass and started cleaning it, before Thorin felt another body crash into his against the bar. 

Had they been anywhere else, Thorin wouldn’t have been as calm. But given that they were in their family’s hotel and his sister-in-law could easily vault over the bar, Thorin grunted and grabbed at one of the arms that had wrapped around his shoulders. 

“Hey you big old lump,” Frerin’s voice came above him as he perched his chin on top of Thorin’s head. “Dis said I could find you here.”

“Congrats,” Thorin wheezed, trying to push his younger brother off him. Vili watched them, her expression amused as she cleaned the glass. “You found me. Now get off me before you crush my damn windpipe.”

Frerin let go of him, taking a step back. Thorin straightened up and turned around to take his younger brother in. Unlike Thorin, Frerin had held onto his youthful appearance better. Though it was still obvious he wasn’t in his twenties, he didn’t have worn lines or wrinkles decorating his face. Unlike Dis and Thorin, Frerin had inherited their mother’s blonde hair. And unlike his siblings, Frerin sported a much less “professional” look, in Thorin’s opinion. He had a variety of tattoos and piercings, far more than Thorin had, and much more out in the open than Thorin. 

“You look… well,” Thorin settled on, crossing his arms as Frerin pouted at him. 

“Don’t I get a hug from my brother?”

“Since when have I ever hugged you?” Thorin grumbled, but he relented and gave Frerin a tight hug. Frerin squeezed him before he stepped back. 

“Hey, Vi,” Frerin waved at her. 

“Frerin,” Vili smiled. “You want a drink?”

“Nah, no thanks. I’ll make do,” Frerin stuffed his hands in his back pockets and looked at Thorin. “Where are the kids?”

“Our sister has kidnapped them. I’m thinking maybe she can keep them this time.” Thorin said, his mouth quirking slightly in amusement. Frerin snorted. 

“No, she’ll just return them to you hyped up on sugar,” he said, leaning against the bar with Thorin. 

“Delisi doesn’t get hyped up on sugar anymore,” Thorin said, shaking his head. “Farin, though…”

“I can’t wait to see them again,” Frerin said, beaming. “I’ve got some great gifts from the Alps for them. Oh, speaking of…”

“Right,” Thorin sighed. “Your boyfriend.”

“My boyfriend,” Frerin repeated the words, fiddling with something in his pocket before he sighed. “Look, Thorin, I don’t want you to… ugh, don’t like… freak out. Okay?”

“Why would I freak out?” Thorin frowned at Frerin. “You know I’m bi. And if you’re bi, or if you’re gay, or whatever, I’m not going to freak out. I mean, I wish you had told me sooner, but I’m just happy you’re not hiding it from us. You know that we will accept you no matter what, right?”

“Slow down,” Frerin laughed, rolling his eyes. “Calm down, Thorin. That’s not the issue, and it’s… I met him in the Alps. I mean… well, you’ll understand when he gets down here. I guess we reunited in the Alps.” 

“Okay,” Thorin frowned, his eyebrows coming together as he stared at his brother. 

The elevator dinged as it arrived across the lobby. Frerin stood up and Thorin turned his attention to look across the lobby over to the elevator. As it opened, his stomach dropped. 

Bilbo stepped off the elevator, which meant that Thorin hadn’t been imagining him earlier, and that he was in the hotel. And that he was here with Frerin. But those thoughts vanished as he saw that Bilbo had a toddler cradled in his arms. Thorin’s brows furrowed in confusion. The toddler was at least a couple years old. As Bilbo left the elevator, Thorin saw another child trail behind him. He looked far more timid, his dark brown hair and blue eyes far more reminiscent of the Durin family than Bilbo himself. 

Still, Thorin didn’t think that these children were Frerin’s. Frerin would not have hid that. 

They were likely Bilbo’s, but that left Thorin with more questions. 

Thorin’s heart remained plunged into his stomach as he stared at Bilbo, as Bilbo approached them and came to a stop at Frerin’s side. He watched as Frerin leaned forward and tickled the toddler in Bilbo’s arms playfully. His eyes tracked the smile on Bilbo’s face. 

This was not going to go well at all. 

“Hi, Thorin,” Bilbo said, diverting his attention away from the toddler and Frerin to smile awkwardly at Thorin. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Yeah,” Thorin said, swallowing drily. “Hi.”

Great. 

Bilbo’s smile dropped slightly and he turned his attention back to the toddler. “This is Linnea, my daughter.” He looked back up. “And I guess you’ve already figured out that I’m Frerin’s boyfriend.”

Frerin butted into the conversation before Thorin could say anything. “I told you to not freak out, okay? We just ran into each other in the Alps a few months ago.”

“Months?” Thorin’s mouth turned down. “Look, Frerin, no offense but you--”

“Not right now,” Frerin said. Thorin hadn’t heard his brother say anything as sternly as he did then. Thorin froze and Bilbo glanced down at the toddler, Linnea, in his arms. “Besides, you haven’t met Frodo.”

“Oh, yes,” Bilbo smiled and handed Linnea to Frerin, who took her with a smile. “This is Frodo, my nephew.” He cleared his throat as Frodo stepped close, but the lad didn’t completely peek out from behind Bilbo. “He’s been staying with me, and I didn’t want to leave him at home all alone over the holidays. I hope you don’t mind.”

Thorin looked at the young boy and then at Bilbo, before he shook his head. “No, that’s… fine.”

Bilbo smiled, ruffling Frodo’s hair before he looked at Frerin. “Do you mind finding them something to eat?” He looked down at Frodo. “Go with Mr. Frerin, would you?”

Frodo nodded, quiet as he slipped over to Frerin’s side. When Frerin held out his hand, Frodo took it and Frerin disappeared deeper into the hotel. 

Thorin felt unnerved. He’d been prepared to deal with his brother, who was a lot, but this was entirely more than he’d prepared himself for. Bilbo was one thing. Bilbo as his brother’s boyfriend, Bilbo with children… this was more than he could comprehend in the moment. 

Bilbo met his gaze and sighed. “Well, it’s good to see you not bleeding out on the floor.”

“You…” Thorin started and then stopped, crossing his arms. “It’s good to see that you’re alive.”

Bilbo snorted, shaking his head slightly as he looked at Thorin. “You could have reached out to me. It wasn’t like I disappeared off the face of the earth after that, you know. Someone in your employ had my number.”

“You could have been there when I…” Thorin trailed off, looking away as he grasped his own arm in frustration. 

He wasn’t sure anything would have changed. 

“You and I both know that you told me off,” Bilbo said then shook his head. “But it doesn’t matter. That was twenty years ago. I’m here with your brother.”

“So you are,” Thorin said, looking at Bilbo again. 

“Look, Thorin, there’s… a lot, I guess, that we need to catch up on. I just don’t know that this exact moment is the best time to do it.” Bilbo said after a moment. “Or at least not here.”

Thorin sighed, averting his eyes for a moment before he looked back at Bilbo. “You haven’t seen the hotel and resort since it’s been remodeled and restored, have you?” When Bilbo shook his head in response, Thorin stood up fully. “I can show you around a bit. And we can.. Talk?”

“Talking would be good,” Bilbo said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Lead the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! 
> 
> The next chapter will definitely have a lot of talking about pasts between Thorin and Bilbo, which will explain more about their lives. This also isn't where I thought this chapter would end but I am writing this loosely -- so things will happen as they happen lol I intended on introducing some more characters this chapter but that will probably happen in the next chapter instead. 
> 
> Also, I always love writing Thorin and Vili as being close friends. It's just a relationship I enjoy writing out. Sometimes you bond with your sister-in-law.


End file.
